Day 2 - Ease & Onions

Graham Onions enjoyed a dream debut in the first Test as England's bowlers tore through a dejected West Indies on a chilly, overcast day at HQ.

Having reached 99-2 in reply to the home team's 377, the Windies were blown away 152 all out. Onions took three wickets in an over and wound up with a marvellous 5-38. With five fit bowlers and the clouds remaining in place, Andrew Strauss enforced the follow-on and James Anderson removed Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan to leave West Indies 39-2, and still trailing by 186.

England began on 289-7, optimistically targeting 400. Thanks to Swann's unbeaten 63, and Ravi Bopara 143 - England almost made it. Swann bossed the strike in a 93-run partnership with Bopara, opening with some handsome drives through the off-side off both Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor. His maiden Test half century arrived in style with a hook for six off Lionel Baker before Bopara drove Taylor uppishly to cover. Fidel Edwards, who had endured some awful dropped catches on Wednesday, finished with 6-92 for his second-best figures in Test cricket.

England started badly and bizarrely with Chris Gayle giving Stuart Broad some real tap. Whilst at bthe other end, Strauss gave spinner Swann the new ball (We know he’s good but, surely not in that good nick?)

Finally, Chris Broad’s son got Gayle with an inside edge with the score on 46.
Sarwan played comfortably until Junior tempted him into driving at a wide one and Matt ‘The Cat’ Prior made no mistake with the catch.
The Windies were relying on Devon Smith to hold the innings together but Strauss brought back Swann who had dismissed Smith three times in the Caribbean and again had his number here, with a ball that went straight on. The next ball saw the departure of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, this time to a quality off-break which the batsman edged to Collingwood at slip. In trouble on 99-4 at tea, that was nothing compared to what was to follow. Australian Brendan Nash looked ill-at-ease against Swann, and it was no surprise when he also fell to a Collingwood slip catch, this time taking low to his left.

Onions was by now hitting the deck hard, and in a sensational sixth over he took three wickets. Lendl Simmons fended an outswinger to Strauss at first slip. Taylor bottom-edged to Matt The Cat and then Benn's nick was taken by a diving Swann at third slip. Denesh Ramdin was dropped by the other debutant Tim Bresnan off the returning Broad, but he fell lbw in the next Onions over.
Onions had picked up four wickets in seven balls and so nearly had a fifth - but Collingwood dropped last man Baker in the slips. That should have been 130 all out, and England missed a run out chance to finish off the innings on 139. However, on 152 Onions won another lbw decision to wrap up the innings

Strauss enforced the follow on and although Smith lived to fight another day, Gayle departed for a duck with an edge to third slip and Sarwan made just one before playing Anderson onto his stumps.

Jardine’s Verdict: All in all a good day at the office and if the weather holds and the pitch retains a bit of movement things look positive for the revamped England. That being said this is only Day Two of a long summer and there is plenty more to be done before we can entertain thoughts of giving Australia a real run for their money later in the season. The Windies will surely not be as lacklustre again and until Chanderpaul is safely back in the hutch any result is still possible.